MARY, OUR MOTHER

As a follow-up to the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, where Our Lady appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, holding out the Scapular for all the world, I'm posting this information sheet on devotion to this wonderful sacramental:

THE BROWN SCAPULAR OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

is a gift to us from Our Heavenly Mother.

It is an assurance of salvation.

"WHOSOEVER DIES CLOTHED IN THIS (SCAPULAR) SHALL NOT SUFFER ETERNAL FIRE. "This is the Blessed Virgin Mary's PROMISE, made July 16, 1251, to St. Simon Stock.

Love the Scapular.
Wear it always.
Venerate it often.

True devotion to Mary consists in three things:
VENERATION, CONFIDENCE, LOVE.Without saying to Mary that we venerate her, love her, and trust in her protection, we tell her these things every moment of the day by simply wearing the Scapular.

THE SCAPULAR THEN IS A PRAYER.Our Lord taught us to say the "Our Father." Mary taught us the value of the Scapular. When we use it as a prayer, Our Lady draws us to the Sacred Heart of her Divine Son. It is well, therefore, to HOLD THE SCAPULAR IN THE HAND while addressing Our Lady. A prayer uttered thus, while holding the mystical Scapular, is as perfect as a prayer can be. It is especially in TIME OF TEMPTATION that we need the powerful intercession of God's Mother. The evil spirit is utterly powerless when a Scapular-wearer, besides his silent devotion, faces temptation calling upon Mary. "If thou hadst recommended thyself to me, thou wouldst not have run into such danger," was Our Lady's gentle reproach to Blessed Alan de la Roche.

St. Alphonsus de Liguori says:
"Just as men take pride in having others wear their livery, so the most holy Mary is pleased when her servants wear her Scapular as a mark that they have dedicated themselves to her service, and are members of the Family of the Mother of God."

Pope Benedict XV granted a partial indulgence EACH TIME the Scapular is kissed.

Pope John Paul II in a Message to the Carmelites said: "The sign of the Scapular points to an effective synthesis of Marian spirituality, which nourishes the devotion of believers and makes them sensitive to the Virgin Mother's loving presence in their lives. The Scapular is essentially a "habit". Those who receive it are associated more or less closely with the Order of Carmel and dedicate themselves to the service of Our Lady for the good of the whole Church (cf. "Formula of Enrolment in the Scapular", in the Rite of Blessing of and Enrolment in the Scapular, approved by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 5 January 1996).

"Those who wear the Scapular are thus brought into the land of Carmel, so that they may "eat its fruits and its good things" (cf. Jer 2: 7), and experience the loving and motherly presence of Mary in their daily commitment to be clothed in Jesus Christ and to manifest him in their life for the good of the Church and the whole of humanity (cf. "Formula of Enrolment in the Scapular", cit.).

Therefore two truths are evoked by the sign of the Scapular: on the one hand, the constant protection of the Blessed Virgin, not only on life's journey, but also at the moment of passing into the fullness of eternal glory; on the other, the awareness that devotion to her cannot be limited to prayers and tributes in her honour on certain occasions, but must become a "habit", that is, a permanent orientation of one's own Christian conduct, woven of prayer and interior life, through frequent reception of the sacraments and the concrete practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. In this way the Scapular becomes a sign of the "covenant" and reciprocal communion between Mary and the faithful: indeed, it concretely translates the gift of his Mother, which Jesus gave on the Cross to John and, through him, to all of us, and the entrustment of the beloved Apostle and of us to her, who became our spiritual Mother.

"A splendid example of this Marian spirituality, which inwardly moulds individuals and conforms them to Christ, the firstborn of many brethren, is the witness to holiness and wisdom given by so many Carmelite saints, all of whom grew up in the shadow and under the protection of their Mother.

"I too have worn the Scapular of Carmel over my heart for a long time! Out of my love for our common heavenly Mother, whose protection I constantly experience, I hope that this Marian year will help all the men and women religious of Carmel and the devout faithful who venerate her with filial affection to grow in her love and to radiate to the world the presence of this Woman of silence and prayer, invoked as Mother of Mercy, Mother of Hope and Grace.
With these wishes, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing to all the friars, nuns, sisters and lay people of the Carmelite Family, who work so hard to spread among the people of God true devotion to Mary, Star of the Sea and Flower of Carmel!"
From the Vatican, 25 March 2001.

PROFESS YOUR DEVOTION

To be eligible for THE SCAPULAR PROMISE one must be enrolled in the Family of Carmel by a priest or deacon.

SHORT ENROLLMENT

"Receive this scapular, a sign of your special relationship with Mary the Mother of Jesus, whom you pledge to imitate. May it be a reminder to you of your dignity as a Christian, in serving others and imitating Mary. Wear it as a sign of her protection and of belonging to the family of Carmel, voluntarily doing the will of God and devoting yourself to building a world true to his plan of community, justice and peace."

MARY'S GIFT OF THE SCAPULAR IS FOR ALL HER CHILDREN
MARY'S MOTHERHOOD is not limited to Catholics; it is extended to ALL PEOPLE. Many miracles of conversion have been wrought in favor of non-Catholics who have practiced the Scapular devotion.

I've worn the Brown Scapular for over 35 years, I never take it off, even in the shower! I firmly believe in it's sacramental grace and its binding of my soul to Mother Mary. Time and time again, She has come to my rescue in temporal and spiritual matters. I can never thank Our Lady enough for all the grace She has given me and how She has led me to grow in love with God, who created me, redeemed me and anointed me. Mother Mary has especially led me to Her Divine Son, Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, where my hunger for Him never ceases.

O Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee. My God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament!